“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the reasons that we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, precisely because it is easy to settle for a good life. The vast majority of companies never become great precisely because they become quite good — and that is their main problem.”

The Holstee Manifesto poster would make a great gift. Click here to order.

Here it is spelled out for you. All you need to do is to commit it to memory–and live it!

The Holstee Manifesto

1. This is your life.
2. Do what you love, and do it often.
3. If you don’t like something, change it.
4. If you don’t like your job, quit.
5. If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV.
6. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing the things you love.
7. Stop over-analyzing; all emotions are beautiful.
8. Life is simple.
9. When you eat, appreciate every last bite.
10. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people; we are united in our differences.
11. Ask the next person you see what their passion is. And share your inspiring dream with them.
12. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself.
13. Some opportunities come only once; seize them.
14. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating.
15. Life is short.
16. Live your dream and share your passion.

Answer: Read this lovely anecdote by Martin Seligman from his book Flourish:

There is more to intelligence and high achievement than sheer speed. What speed does is give you extra time to carry out the non-automatic parts of the task. The second component of intelligence and achievement is slowness and what you do with all that extra time that being fast affords you.

Mental speed comes at a cost. I found myself missing nuances and taking shortcuts when I should have taken the mental equivalent of a deep breath. I found myself skimming and scanning when I should have been reading every word. I found myself listening poorly to others. I would figure out where they were headed after their first few words and then interrupt. And I was anxious a lot of the time–speed and anxiety go together.

I 1974 we hired Ed Pugh, a perception psychologist who worked on exacting questions such as how many photons of light are needed to fire off a single visual receptor. Ed was slow. He wasn’t physically slow ( he had been the quarterback of his Louisiana high school team), and it wasn’t just the drawl, it was his rate of speech and his reaction time to a question. We called Ed “thoughtful.”

I found myself at a party with Ed, and during a long pause . . .I asked Ed, “How did you become so slow?”
“I wasn’t always slow, Marty. I used to be fast; almost as fast as you are. I learned to become slow. Before my PhD, I was a Jesuit. my socius [the mentor who socializes the Jesuit student, in contrast to the other mentor who grades the student] told me I was too fast. So every day he would give me one sentence to read, and then he made me sit under a tree for the afternoon and think about that sentence.”

“Can you teach me to be slow, Ed?”

Indeed he could.

We read Soren Kierkegaards’s Fear and Trembling together, but at the rate of one page a week, and to top it off, my sister, Beth, taught me transcendental meditation. I practiced TM faithfully forty minutes a day for twenty years. I cultivated slowness, and I am now even slower than Ed was then. (p 110-112).

3. 21 Tips from H Jackson Brown Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationship with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even it it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud.

4. Nine Tips from Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

5. Twelve Priceless Qualities of Success from Marshall Field

1. The value of time.
2. The success of perseverance.
3. The pleasure of working.
4. The dignity of simplicity.
5. The worth of character.
6. The power of kindness.
7. The influence of example.
8. The obligation of duty.
9. The wisdom of economy.
10. The virtue of patience.
11. The improvement of talent.
12. The joy of originating.

6.Take Time from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Take time to think–It is the source of all power.

Take time to read–It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to play– It is the source of perpetual youth.

Take time to be quiet–It is the opportunity to seek God. [alternatively, to reflect]

Take time to be aware–It is the opportunity to help others.

Take time to love and be loved–It is God’s greatest gift.

Take time to laugh–It is the music of the soul.

Take time to be friendly– It is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream–It is what the future is made of.

Take time to pray–It is the greatest power on earth.[alternatively, to commit to our higher purpose]